Small Business Gift Guide + Ideas To Shop Small
Kicking off 2020’s gift guides with 12 of my favorite small businesses that would make perfect gifts! It’s in my blood to support local businesses, many of my close friends and family members are small business owners. I’ve had the honor of seeing and understanding the passion, grit and love that goes into it. It feels more important than EVER to shop small. Earlier this year, I shared a list of some of our favorite small businesses to support, organized by category. Be sure to check that out for more inspiration too!
lace & day - buffalo, ny
Lace & Day is owned and operated by sisters Emily Constantine Doren and Holly Constantine Ortman. They’re two down-to-earth Buffalonians who traded serious careers for the chance to get more girls feeling great in their skivvies! They have amazing gifts for the season (think pajamas, robes + comfy necessities for men and women). They ship to anywhere in the US!
peg’s hardware - buffalo, ny
Named after the designer’s grandmother, Peg’s has entered its 6th year of production and keeps growing, largely because of our incredibly loyal clientele that keep coming back and newbies who enjoy finding a one-of-a-kind item. They use only natural metals and stones; cutting, filing, molding and experimenting is our process. Inspiration is drawn from fluid shapes ending in statement makers that are lightweight and made to last (see my bracelet that I never take off)!
wny food traders - buffalo, ny
Buffalo Artisan Food Traders was created to pool strengths and create a one-stop shop for people to buy local and get the added benefit of safe home delivery of your favorite Western New York food brands. Now offering shipping anywhere in the USA shop online.
mama p - new york, ny
Always an advocate for the planet and its people, her passion for supporting important causes grew. Susan believed that companies should offer products that did not harm the environment - and gave back to society, while making a profit. And with that spirit of creation, the MamaP journey began. Spread joy with each brushing session by supporting five different causes with each color. The 5-pack is great for gift giving and multi-member households.
occasionette - Philadelphia, pa
Occasionette is a curated gift shop, opening the doors at its first shop in 2013 on South Philly's East Passyunk Avenue. The shop has grown substantially over the years and now boasts one of the city's largest selections of independent cards and gifts. You'll find cards for every occasion, candles, tea towels, jewelry, bar wares, candies, notebooks, journals, photo frames and much more.
Fluff trough - denver, co
The first pet feeder of its kind, the Fluff Trough was invented by a dog mom looking for a better and safer way to feed her pug who struggled to eat from traditional feeders. The Fluff Trough is vet-approved for cats and dogs and has everything you and your pet could ever want in a pet feeder, making it the perfect gift for the pet lover in your life. We just got it for Walter and he’s been LOVING it. See why!
rust belt love - buffalo, ny
Invitation + event design (Aly designed the table cards for my wedding!). This year, they have moved their retail offerings of ornaments, stationery, greeting cards, notebooks, landmark prints, and Buffalo gifts entirely online.
Riley Sheehey - falls church, va
While Riley has loved art for as long as she can remember, she began her career as an artist in the summer of 2014, while on summer vacation from teaching. What started as a hobby slowly grew into a part-time job as she began creating things for friends, family, and co-workers, while continuing to build her personal portfolio of work. She offers prints and a series of mixed media that would make the prettiest and most joyful gift!
endlessly elated: homeware - new york, ny
Hand blown and fire polished, each Elated Coupe embodies a flawless combination of clarity and strength that requires 30 days to craft. The spiral-cut stem offers a luxurious texture while its sturdy base, inspired by the face of a vintage clock, elevates your everyday celebrations.
The Harlem Candle Co. - new york, ny
The Harlem Candle Co. is a luxury home fragrance brand specializing in scented candles inspired by the richness of Harlem. Founded in 2014 by travel and lifestyle expert Teri Johnson, the Harlem Candle Company is the manifestation of her love affair with fragrance, jazz, and Harlem. I stumbled upon their page on IG and will be ordering a few this season!
ship sunshine - denver, co
Finding the perfect gift shouldn’t be that hard. They’ve got ready-made boxes covering all of life’s special moments—from engagements and housewarmings to “get well soon”, “just because”, and everything in between. You can even build your own box and personally pick from a wide selection of unique products—60% of their merchandise comes from local makers and women-owned businesses, so you can support home-grown talent while shopping gifts you just can’t find anywhere.
brave+ kind books - Decatur, GA
A thoughtfully curated little neighborhood kids bookshop. They offer a unique selection of diverse, classic, artful stories, creative workshops, story clubs and special gifts. The diverse books offered focus on early readers and young adults, but there is an adult section offering recommendations to help us all do better as human beings.
CARALYNMIRAND.COM READER SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:
ALAIR SEATTLE (SMALL BATCH GIFTS) | ALLIE + BESS (JEWELRY/STACKABLE BRACELETS) | CK DESIGN CO (VINTAGE + MODERN LIFESTYLE SHOP) | FORGLORY (HANDMADE CLAY EARRINGS)| GET JEWELED (HANDMADE JEWELRY) | IN THE MAKING DESIGNS (BABY ONESIES) | HOME SWEET SHIPLAP (HANDMADE GOODS + GIFTING) JENN’S JEWELRY (HANDMADE JEWELRY) | THISTLE AND GRIT (HANDMADE JEWELRY) | UNDONE ARTWORK CO (PRINTS/ARTWORK)
MORE IDEAS TO SUPPORT LOCAL:
BUY GIFT CARDS
(DOES THE PERSON YOU’RE BUYING FOR HAVE A FAVORITE HAIR, NAIL, WAXING, ETC. SHOP? HAVE THEIR NEXT SERVICE BE ON YOU!)
DO THEY LIKE TO DRINK?
GRAB A GROWLER / BOTTLE FROM A LOCAL BREWERY / WINERY
POST / TAG / SHARE
A FREE AND EASY WAY TO SUPPORT IS TO TO POST / SHARE YOUR FINDS ONLINE. LEAVE A COMMENT OR POSITIVE REVIEW AS WELL.
Be sure to check out more of our favorite small businesses to support (crowd sourced in May 2020) and feel free to leave any of your favorite small businesses to support and why (no MLM’s please) below. I hope you enjoyed my very FIRST gift guide of 2020 at CaralynMirand.com. Be sure to check out previous posts here and stay tuned for more. I appreciate you allowing me to be your go-to gal! xx CMK